Minutes of Proceedings. 215 



among the most enterprising and intelligent, and even among the 

 foremost in art. It appears to be certain that, at least in recent times, 

 cannibalism has not been caused by a deficiency of ordinary food. It 

 might be supposed that it arose from a sentiment of savage triumph, 

 over an enemy ; and there is a passage in the " Iliad" where such a 

 feeling seems to show itself as a survival, where Zeus says to Hera 

 that the only way in which she could satiate her rage against Priam 

 and the Trojans would be by eating them raw. But according 

 to Mr. Haddon, it is connected with the idea that by devouring 

 your enemy you make yourself possessor of his fighting qualities. 

 Only some of the ISTew Guinea tribes -are cannibals; others are 

 revolted by the practice. And this is a case of a general fact which, 

 is very striking — namely, that there are remarkable varieties, within 

 very limited areas, in manners and in the state of social development. 

 The tribes in many cases, without being hostile, have little or no 

 communication with each other, and do not readily adopt each 

 other's customs or learn each other's arts. Eeaders of Max Miiller's 

 Lectures will remember how he brings out the fact of the multiplicity 

 of different languages spoken by neighbouring tribes, some of them 

 insignificant in number.^ The same thing is observed in New Gruinea, 

 and not with respect to language only, but to their manners and arts 

 in general, in which they rarely borrow from without, but adhere, 

 as I have already said, to their local traditions. 



The view of savage life presented to us discloses a scene very 

 different from that composed by the imagination of Rousseau and 

 his school. Peace and harmony do not prevail ; the terrible saying, 

 Somo homini lupus, is often exemplified. We read of tribes extermi- 

 nated, or driven from their homes and reduced to the condition of 

 vagrants, by the attacks of their enemies ; and there is amongst 

 entire populations a dreadful sense of insecurity arising from the 

 recurrent visits of head-hunters. Yet the people have many amiable 

 traits ; they are most affectionate to their children ; they often exhibit 

 a marked respect for their parents and the aged generally;- and they 

 respond by gratitude and goodwill to efforts for their good, as is 

 eminently shown by the immense influence and popularity in the 



1 First Series, Lect. II. 



-See Chalmers and Gill: "Work and Adventui-e in New Guinea," pp. 113 

 and 243. 



R.I. A. MINUTES, SESSION 1895-'96. f^lj 



